Bridle-blind brace.



No. 656,397. Fatented'Aug. 2|, I900. I. H. ELLSWORTH.

BBIDLE BLIND BRACE.

(Application filed Apr. 26, 1900.

(No Model.)

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IRVIN H. ELLSWQRTH, OAK HARBOR, OHIO.

BRlDLE-BLINb eR AoE.

SPEGIFIGATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 656,397, dated August 21, 1900.

Application filed April 26, 1900. Serial No. 14 434. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, IRVIN H. ELLSWORTH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oak Harbor, in the county of Ottawa and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bridle-Blind Braces; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to harness, and is directed particularly to improvements in devices for bracing the winkers or blinds of the bridle, the object of the invention being the production; of a simplyconstructed blindbrace which is self-adjusting longitudinally on the central stay or face-piece and which supports the blinds at the proper distance from the eyes and precludes lateral movement thereof.

The invention in its preferred embodiment will be readily comprehended, reference being had to the following detailed description and to the accompanying drawings,in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bridle of which my improved blind-brace,v forms a part. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view in line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view in line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the said drawings by letter, A denotes the central stay or face-piece, which at its upper end may be fixed to the crownpiece 13, as shown, or may, as in overcheckbridles, be slidably attached to the crownpiece, but secured against lateral movement. Toward its lower end the central stay or facepiece is divided or bifurcated and attached to the lower part of the bridle or to a separate bit. Thus secured, the central stay is incapable of sidewise movement, though a slight vertical play sufficient to allow for the upand-down movement of the 'animals head is permitted. The blinds or winkers O O are secured to the cheek-pieces D D, which are attached to the crown-piece and bit.

E denotes the blind-brace, consisting of a preferably-continuous and inflexible strip the ends of which are secured to the upper outer corners of the blinds. Centrally of the brace is an opening e, slidably receiving the face-piece or central stay. This opening may be formed in a number of ways. Consequently I do not limit the invention to the construction shown, which consists in leaving unat tached the central portion of a brace made up of two strips elsewhere secured together. Whatever the construction, the opening receives the central stay freely. Only the width of the opening is slightly in excess of the width of the stay, whereby lateral or sidewise movement of the brace relative to the stay is efiectually prevented. The stay being, as above stated, incapable of sidewise movement, the brace, and consequently the blinds, are immovably held, and thus the shifting and flapping of the blinds are precluded, the blinds being maintained at equal distance from the center of the animals head.

It has been stated that the central stay is capable of longitudinal movement through the brace. Such provision allows of conformation of the stay to the movement of the head of the animal without imparting movement to the blinds; also it allows of the cheek-pieces being buckled high or low on the crown-piece without interfering with the stay. The range of movement of the stay through the brace is limited, and this I accomplish by providing a stop on the stay above and below the point where it passes through the brace. These stops may be of any form or type which will serve the pur pose, but I prefer to attach a short strip F near its ends to the face side of the stay by rivets f f or other fastening devices, the strip covering the brace and the rivets serving as shoulders to limit the range of adjustment.

My invention, while very simple and inexpensive in construction, is very efficient in preserving the proper position of the blinds and in permitting the described adjustments, and it possesses the further advantage of its adaptability to existing bridles.

Various modifications may be made with out departing from the spirit of the inv'enthe stay or piece and stops on the latter to tion. 7 limit vertical movement thereof. 10 I claim as my invention In testimony whereof I affix my signature The combination withacentral stay or facein presence of two witnesses. 5 piece attached at its ends to be incapable of 1 IRVIN H. ELLSWORTH.

sidewise movement, of blinds and a brace Witnesses: connecting the blinds and having centrally CHAS. H. GRAVES, thereof a Vertical opening slidably receiving WM. E. GRAVES. 

